


Everything Has a Price

by CleotheDreamer



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angry Peter Parker, BAMF Peter Parker, Because he's a billionaire, Blackmail, Child Soldiers, Gen, Gift Fic, Happy Ending, I will write only irondad or extremely tony stark critical, Michelle Jones Is a Good Bro, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Peter Hates Tony Stark, Peter Parker Hates Tony Stark, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Sassy Peter, Sneaky Peter Parker, Some Humor, The discussion of:, The summary may seem angsty but I promise you it's not, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark critical, eat the rich, that's the fic, there is no in between, tony stark bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:33:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29619246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CleotheDreamer/pseuds/CleotheDreamer
Summary: 'At 9-years-old, he wrote a heated letter detailing how billionaires could never be heroes and sent it through Tony Stark's fanmail channel with Aunt May's help. Her eyes had crinkled with a smile as she'd turned to him and said, “there are always ways we can help people. Turn this anger into fixing what all the Tony Starks of the world are doing wrong. Do you think you can do that?"'-----In which Peter Parker hates billionaires. This, of course, changes things.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 23
Kudos: 231





	Everything Has a Price

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Midnight_Clover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnight_Clover/gifts).



> This is for the lovely Midnight_Clover!! Happy belated birthday! You're an awesome person and I'm so glad to call you my friend! <3
> 
> We've been talking about this prompt of Clover's for ages and I gotta say, I'm so glad they requested me to write it for their birthday! All credit to their amazing brain for this golden idea. One of the rules was Tony Stark gets “no forgiveness” soooo, this is straight-up NotTonyStarkFriendlytm. Please don't complain in the comments that it's bashing or something, cuz this is your warning that it's... bashing, lol.
> 
> Anyway, this is an Eat the Rich, Peter Parker hates billionaires (as he should) fic. Also, ACAB Spidey. Has no one told you that I'm overly political in everything I do, yet? Because I am. I very much, absolutely am.

At first, he had idolized the man. Tony Stark was the first superhero he'd ever seen in his lifetime. Captain America was practically a legend, but Iron Man? He was real and _now._

Peter's family had always been pretty progressive. With Uncle Ben taking him to protests even at a young age and Aunt May's ranting to him about the state of the world, he'd never had to think too hard about what was right and what was wrong. And, with Uncle Ben's quiet but firm insistence that the government had killed Peter's parents, well, he'd always had a personal investment in questioning the world.

If you had the power and resources to do something good and you didn't? That was privilege. If you had the power and resources to fix literally every problem facing the planet and you didn't? That was being a corrupt as hell billionaire.

The weight of the world was on Tony Stark and all he did was make shiny metal suits and play the hero. He was a _billionaire,_ and yet people were still starving, refugees were still without homes, the world was on fucking _fire,_ and all Tony Stark did was run off to Malibu and make weapons only _he_ could use, despite supposedly hating the arms industry.

It was the first time Peter had experienced betrayal. It had made the insult personal. He'd worn the man's mask, he'd pretended to _be him_ at the risk of his own life, and the man turned out to be a _billionaire?_ Someone who could save so many people – could fix the fate of the Earth, but _didn't?_ It was devastating and only served to fuel his anger more.

At 9-years-old, he wrote a heated letter detailing how billionaires could never be heroes and sent it through Tony Stark's fanmail channel with Aunt May's help. Her eyes had crinkled with a smile as she'd turned to him and said, “there are always ways we can help people. Turn this anger into fixing what all the Tony Starks of the world are doing wrong. Do you think you can do that?"

He'd nodded. It had seemed so simple, then, but poverty wasn't something easy to chase away. Once Ben died, Aunt May had had to pick up extra shifts just to keep them afloat. He tried to help others by becoming Spider-Man, but without resources, it was so damn _hard._

It made him want to scream. Why were they struggling to pay the water bill whilst people like Tony Stark were swimming in billions of dollars of extra cash – somehow labeled a philanthropist despite that? Why were they in debt from a fucking _funeral_ for the kindest man Peter had ever known, whilst Tony Stark got praised for his work on climate change when they knew damn well he could solve the issue entirely if he just spent some of his precious fucking money –

Anger was so much more prevalent after Ben's death. He used it as best he could, let it fuel him as he swung through the New York City sky.

It became Peter's driving force. He was angry that people were treated unfairly, that muggers would hurt innocent people, that cops arrested the homeless for _sleeping_ –

It helped him, but sometimes, like in this sort of situation, it did more harm than good. Anger was making him draw this cat-and-mouse chase out for far too long.

“Fuck off, dude! I don't wanna be your buddy in only technically legal moral degeneracy!” he yelled at the Iron Man suit gliding in the air behind him.

“You know I could bring you in to get arrested for this vigilante shit, right?” Stark's voice called back, “I'm sure the police would love to get their hands on you. I'm just trying to help you, give me something to work with here!”

“By threatening me with the police? Nice boot-licking!” he yelled, sarcasm dripping from his words.

He had to get away. Tony Stark was the kind of person who just wouldn't give up – which was pretty evident considering Peter'd been trying to shake him off his tail for the last half hour. Man, some people just couldn't take 'no' for an answer. Peter needed to stop focusing his energy on replying and think of how to get the hell away without Stark finding him.

If only the man didn't have heat sensors in his ridiculously decked-out suit.

“This was a courtesy, you know?” Stark yelled back, “I didn't have to come here like this, I could have just found out your identity and knocked on your front door!”

“I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY, ASSHOLE!” Peter shouted back, heart racing at the thought. Maybe it would make the man a little less enthusiastic about teaming up with him, or whatever it was he wanted. As much as Peter hated how others looked down on him for his age, he wasn't above using it to get out of any situation with _Tony Fucking Stark._

“You're on, you little shit!”

"Billionaires don't get to talk trash, you're already full of it!" Peter called back, unable to resist the urge for one more jab.

Peter swung faster, getting out of the suit's line of sight before stripping himself of his hoodie and mask on a roof. He quickly jumped down into the crowded street, groaning at the jolt of his knees. Though he was cold in just the t-shirt that he wore under his suit, it was better than nothing and helped to hide him in the crowd.

Walking as casually as he could, Peter resisted the urge to flip off the suit flying above the bustling street. Fucking billionaires. Peter could have saved so many people tonight, but _no._ Stark just had to ruin everything for some god-forsaken reason.

It wasn't like the world revolved around him, but Stark sure seemed to think so. Peter supposed money did that to people.

\-----

Peter's first mistake was thinking that Tony Stark wouldn't actually try to uncover his identity. His second was thinking that even a corrupt billionaire would at least care a little that he was 15.

But no. Tony Stark was in his living room. Aunt May was glaring at him, having given him her 'famous' walnut date loaf. They both knew full well that her baking was terrible, so she clearly hadn't given it to the man to be nice. Peter loved his aunt so much.

“Peter, he says he's here for a grant,” May said skeptically, looking to him for confirmation. She knew he would never ask for help from Tony Stark – especially financial.

“He's not,” Peter said, confirming her suspicions that Stark had ulterior motives. How he was going to explain what those motives could be, Peter didn't know, “at least not any I applied to that had _him_ linked in the description.”  
  


“Hmm, well, what does this visit really mean then, Mr. Stark?” May said, looking to Stark with raised eyebrows and crossed arms.

“Er, well, I picked a few bright students who could benefit from some financial aid – “

“Not like you couldn't easily pay for every student in the world's tuition fees and more,” Peter said under his breath, ignoring Stark's quick glare in his direction.

“ – and thought I'd surprise them. So, surprise!” Stark said, waving his hands in faux cheer. Stark shifted from foot to foot in the awkward silence that ensued.

“You said you'd been emailing him, though,” May pointed out, eyes narrowed.

“Uh, yeah, that was a fib, but... look, can I just talk to the kid in private for a few minutes?” Tony said, exasperatedly, dropping the act entirely, “I'm Iron Man, it's not like I'm going to kill him.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” May said, drawing out the word.

“It's fine, May. I can handle it,” Peter said, nodding when she concernedly looked to him for confirmation.

“If you're sure...”

“I'm sure.”

She nodded back, though she still glared at Stark as she left to the kitchen.

Peter felt his skin crawl as he led Stark into his room. The man's eyes roamed over his collection of fixed tech and posters. It was violating. This was a space meant for _him._ Not for billionaires who thought they owned everything.

“As walnut date loaves go, that wasn't bad,” he said, throwing the loaf away. Peter didn't try to hide his smirk, “Whoa, what do we have here? Retro tech, huh? Thrift store? Salvation Army?”

“The garbage, actually,” Peter said dryly. People always painted unaware rich people as humorous, but Peter always thought it was more frustrating than anything.

“You're a dumpster diver.”

“Duh, how do you think I get tech out of the garbage. Mail-order?” Peter snorted, “Though landfills are pretty good for tech too, but I'm sure you wouldn't know anything about that.”

“Whoa, chill it on the attitude, kid. I'm trying to be hospitable here.”

“By finding out my identity and coming to my apartment unannounced despite my clear dislike of you?”  
  


“There are bigger things at stake here than your teenage angst,” Stark said, trailing a hand across one of the many computers – this one lacking a keyboard. Peter bristled, walking stiffly over to the device and sliding it away from the man pointedly.

“Don't touch my stuff.”

“Cool your pants, kiddo. I don't think you know what's going on if you're acting like this,” Stark said, changing his role to that of a stern adult giving him a lecture. God, like _this_ man needed to give Peter a lecture.

“Have you heard about the Accords?”

  
“Yeah, and I hope to god that's not why you're here.”

“Well, Spider-Boy– and we've clearly gotten past the need for pretending you aren't swinging through queens in your underwear – there's stuff I need your help for, so yes, that is why I'm here. Though you kinda derailed my presentation here. I had a speech about an upgrade, your tragic superhero backstory, all that mushy stuff, but _wow_ , I forgot how moody teenagers are,” Stark said, sitting down on the bed.

“You got a passport?”

“Please tell me you're not trying to take me out of the country for some stupid reason that you only won't get arrested for because you're sickeningly rich.”

“Feisty, geez. Okay, well I still feel like you don't really know what's going on. Adult stuff, and all that. You ever been to Germany?”

“No.”

“You'll love it.”

“Not if you're taking me there."

  
“... Tough crowd, okay, well then, lemme just tell your Aunt what you've been spending your evenings doing,” he said, standing up and beginning to walk out of the room, though Peter webbed him to the door right as his hand reached the knob.

“Don't you dare tell Aunt May. If she's hearing about this from anyone, it's sure as hell not going to be you.”

“Cool it with the hostility, kid, it's really cramping the mood,” Stark said, tugging at his hand, “are you gonna get me out of this?”

“Not anytime soon.”

“Wouldn't you Aunt find out anyway then?”

“Oh, shut up. Of course, I'll get you out of it by then,” Peter said, rolling his eyes, “But just so you know I'm not going with you to Germany.”

“And you're totally fine with your Aunt finding out your Spider-Boy then? How about the rest of the world? You're not being very hospitable to someone who holds your fate in my hands.”

“You do get what's wrong in this situation, right?” Peter asked, raising his eyebrows skeptically, “like, that's a really horrifying thing to do, and I already knew you're horrifying being a billionaire and all, but _still._ At least have some standards.”

The 'most intelligent man in the world' had the gall to look confused.

“Dude, you're blackmailing a teenager into fighting for your battles – literally – and trying to basically kidnap me. No, not even basically, _literally_ you're trying to kidnap me by taking me to a foreign country without my guardian's – or my – consent.

“You're a billionaire. Buy some wooden toy soldiers or something, just leave me alone.”  
  


“Ignoring all of that other junk you said; I made you a suit – Stark tech – and you're gonna refuse to help me even though you'll lose that?”

“Okay, but that's worse,” Peter said, wondering how his life had turned into a bad parody of a meme, “you do get how that's worse, right?”

“Stop being a child, you're wearing on my nerves!” Stark said, groaning, “all I need is for you to steal Cap's shield. It's not dangerous and it's definitely not hard with your abilities.”

“Yes, let me just magically grow up into an adult,” Peter said, rolling his eyes, “I'm literally a child dude. And Captain America's shield? You want _me_ to steal Cap's shield. You do realize you have a bunch of nonhuman metal suits that can do the job for you, no risk.”

“Not nearly as effective as a superhuman,” Stark dismissed.

“Well, that just reeks of some sort of prejudice. What? Are you dismissing me as human because I have superpowers? Real heroic.”

“Cut it with the sass, it's not that deep,” Stark said, eyebrows furrowed. Peter thought it was probably unhealthy how much joy he was getting from this man's annoyance.

“It really is. Anyway, my aunt knows I hate you, she'll freak out for sure, but she'll also yell at you for withholding safer methods of going about my Spider-Man activities from me just because I refuse to get kidnapped. And I'd _really_ like to see her yell at you.”

“Fucking – for the _last time,_ I'm not kidnapping you, just recruiting you.”

“Recruiting me, a minor, against my will and trying to take me across borders? Sounds like some shady shit to me,” Peter replied, tugging furiously on the straps of his backpack to avoid punching the man.

“God, okay, I don't have time for this,” Stark said, rubbing his forehead with his free hand, “I can't babysit a toddler and fix this at the same time, so fine, you win. No baby super-heroing for you.”

“And how do I know you won't reveal my identity to the world?”

“You don't.”

“Okay, well then, I guess I'll just have to keep some of my own dirt on you just to make sure,” Peter said casually.

“And what is that?”

Peter grinned. “You know, for all your intelligence, I don't think you have a program that can delete audio from 20-year-old computers with no connection to any external devices or software.”

“All of them?” Stark asked, looking at the stacks of computers around the shelf and the few blinking Nokias. He missed the tape recorder under the bed, but to be fair, the traffic outside was loud enough to cover the whirring of the machine.

“All of them,” Peter said, nodding.

“Jesus Christ, kid, you're a demon. When did you even have time for that?”  
  


“And you're a billionaire trying to kidnap a child,” Peter replied easily, “and I climbed into the window when I saw your car outside, turned everything on, then came back up through the regular entrance. I had a feeling and you can never be too sure.”

“Okay, fine, so we're at an impasse, but you can sure as hell bet I'm not going to leave this alone.”

“You are going to leave this alone, or your career is literally over dude.”

“You know I can just destroy all of this physically, right?” Stark said, glancing around the room as if calculating the best way to do so.  
  


“And what, give me physical evidence of Iron Man gauntlet blasts in a child's bedroom?”  
  


“...Okay, you _literal child,_ could you please just get rid of this web so we can actually talk? There are real issues happening in the world right now that you're putting yourself above and, I gotta say, that's not very heroic of you.”

“Ouch,” Peter drawled, trying not to clench his jaw from the man's continued insistence, “guilt-tripping. What's not heroic is hoarding more than enough money to fix world hunger and not actually utilizing any to solve the problems of the world but to instead build metal toy suits.”

“See, now you're just hurting my feelings,” Stark fake pouted.

“Boo-fucking-hoo, now leave.”

“Fine, but all of this,” Stark said, gesturing to nothing, “all of the shit that's gonna happen if Cap wins? That's on you.”

“No, that's on the both of you for being whiny little piss babies,” Peter said, going to pour the web-dissolving solution over the man's hand, making sure his spider-sense didn't tingle while doing so.

“You're way less heroic than I thought you'd be,” Stark said flatly. Peter tried hard to contain a scream, clenching his fist at the asshole's words.

“Yeah, well sorry to defy your expectations,” he spat, “I lost all hope in you when I was 9 so get used to it. Don't meet your heroes and all that.”

Peter watched Tony Stark leave his apartment with a smile.

\-----

“So, Tony Stark came to your apartment and tried to recruit you and you said _no?_ ” Ned asked, looking horrified.

“Yeah, dude, he was trying to kidnap me, I feel like you should be proud,” Peter said, pushing the peas on his lunch tray around absentmindedly.

“But Peter, it was _Tony Stark._ ”

“ _And?_ “ Peter asked, picking up his phone to answer May's text that 'yes, he would pick up some milk on the way home.'

“Genius, billionaire, _Iron Man_. _That_ Tony Stark.”

“Yes, _billionaire –_ “ MJ mumbled 'eat the rich' from down the table – “ see? She gets it,” Peter said, “listing billionaire as someone's character trait automatically disqualifies them from being a good person.”

“Okay, but what about like, Bill Gates?”

“Barbeque ribs, yum,” Peter said snarkily.

“Peter, I love you dude, but you have issues,” Ned said, a smile at the edges of his lips despite his words.

“I'm offended that you think hating billionaires is one of them.”

“Okay, maybe that's not so bad, but you did at least get his autograph for me, right?”

“Ned, I love you, but my love for you can not override my hate for Tony Stark.”

“I knew I liked you for a reason, Parker,” MJ said from down the table. Holy shit, a _real_ compliment from MJ? Yeah, that meant that his opinions were pretty good in his book, then.

“I feel like I should be upset by that, but I'm really just resigned. Does that mean you like the Rogues?” Ned asked.

“Of course not, Ned. I'm just happy I didn't have to be there for the dramatic Avengers' break-up party. I stayed home and watched Star Wars and ate ice cream with May while they had their hissy fit. It was great,” Peter said, reminiscing.

“Why is it that the only superhero I know has to hate basically every other superhero?”

“Shhh,” Peter hissed, realizing that if MJ could hear his thoughts on billionaires she could easily hear everything else, “and I don't hate Thor.”

“But that's for different reasons, Peter,” Ned said, eyes dancing with sadistic glee. Sometimes Peter hated his friend.

“Shut up, you said you wouldn't talk about that,” he whined, blushing. The only real downfall of Peter's refusal to cooperate with Tony Stark's demands was that it lessened the chance to meet the god of thunder. Peter had already found ways to buff up his suit's protective features without the man's help and, with Ned as his guy in the chair, he had all the tech support he needed.

“I'm just happy you like one hero, at least,” Ned said, “though next time you meet Iron Man, you're getting me his signature. I can sell it if it makes you happy. Stick it to the man and all that.”

“Y'know, that's not a bad idea loser,” MJ said, sliding closer, “you better get me an autograph too, Parker.”

“Why?” he asked, skeptical that she would want to sell it.

“To burn it, of course. It would be modern art. A symbolic representation of the oppressive capitalistic system falling to the flames they provided us with.”

“...That seems excessive,” Ned said, looking concerned.

“No, no, I like that. Let's do that,” Peter said, nodding, “We should videotape it for future generations.”

“Oh, wait, then you could actually earn money off of it!” Ned said, perking up, “good idea!”

Peter laughed. “I guess that works too, yeah. We could see which earns more; the video or just selling the signature.”

“I'd like to see you losers try to beat me,” MJ said, taking out her sketchpad to design a plan.

“Game on.”

Yeah, Peter would be a hero without Iron Man's help. He already was. He'd look out for the little guy and he was fine with that. In fact, he thought that that was the best way he could help. Maybe someday he could do more, but for now?

Peter was glad just being the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to use the lovely word Clover made up, that being 'averagengers', but alas, it did not fit. That shit was fucking gold though and I thought it should be shared.


End file.
